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SPELL SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE>
SPELL SUCCESS E-ZINE - DEVELOP ETERNAL OPTIMISM
Spell SUCCESS E-Zine, © 2004, Motivational Magic
by Peter Colwell
ISSUE 6
Welcome to the "Spell SUCCESS" e-newsletter, a primer on
personal and business success topics. Thank you for being a
subscriber and reader. Please feel free to forward this
newsletter to family, friends, and colleagues who are
interested in personal development and self-improvement!
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache
carries within it the seed of an equivalent or greater
benefit."
NAPOLEON HILL
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DEVELOP ETERNAL OPTIMISM
This past weekend was marked by the passing of Ronald
Wilson Reagan, our 40th president, whose life came to an
end at the age of 93, after a long bout with Alzheimer’s
disease. Reagan will long be remembered for his remarkable
skill in dealing with people, whether through negotiations
with other world leaders, debates with political opponents,
or confronting social and political challenges and facing
them with candor and charm.
Above all, most people will remember Reagan’s optimistic
attitude toward life, politics, and the direction in which
he was leading America. His deep conviction and strong
determination helped him to forge alliances that would lead
to gradual nuclear disarmament, the historic fall of the
Berlin Wall, and a sense of hope throughout the world that
economic and social conditions would improve.
We can learn a lot from Reagan about how to approach our
problems and challenges, both personally and
professionally. But first, please do not mistake the word
"optimism" for "blissful ignorance" or an "evergreen,
sunny-side up" philosophy. Optimism is a belief system that
is rooted in the idea that every cloud has a silver lining,
that every problem has a solution, and that without hope,
we have nothing.
Optimists CHOOSE to find the "silver lining" by focusing on
solutions instead of dwelling on problems. They live by the
credo: "Where there’s a will, there’s a way."
When I was 12 years old, Reagan was in the final years of
his presidency, and several inroads had been made toward an
end to the Cold War. I entered an essay contest in the
Boston Herald entitled "Dear Mr. Gorbachev." The purpose of
the essay contest was to hear the views of young children
and teens toward establishing peaceful relations between
the United States and the then-Soviet Union. I was
fortunate to win first place in the age 10-12 category. The
essay is as follows:
Dear Mr. Gorbachev,
I feel the warmth of the earth rising. I feel that peace,
harmony, and brotherhood are nearer than ever thought
possible when I realize that you, an honorable leader of
the powerful Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and
President Reagan, a respected commander of the United
States of America, will meet for the purpose of nuclear
disarmament agreements.
In the hands of two fine leaders lies a vital decision, and
I feel it is just a breath away. Please make the lives of
millions of this world's citizens safer, more peaceful, as
a result of your visit.
Sincerely,
Peter Glenn Colwell
Age 12
Ah, the optimism of youth! Seventeen years later, I still
believe that if we are to make a difference in the lives of
those we meet, we must kindle and re-kindle within
ourselves a feeling of genuine optimism about our
propspects for peace, success, and goodwill.
FIND COURAGE THROUGH ADVERSITY
Unfortunately, no one is immune to adversity. Monetary
wealth will not shelter you from hardship. Fame will not
prevent you from heartache. Material possessions will not
excuse you from difficulties. Every one of us will face
challenges throughout our lifetimes.
I believe that adversity can be a blessing! Adversity can
help you develop the gifts of gratitude and courage. How
so, you might ask? The greater the adversities in our
lives, the more we need to cling onto the blessings in our
lives, and the greater amounts of courage we need to move
through the tough times.
Around this time last year, at three weeks of age, our son,
Peter David, was rushed to the emergency room at Children’s
Hospital in Washington, D.C., unable to keep his food down.
Peter had been vomiting and spitting up blood, and my wife
and I had no idea what was going to happen. After ten hours
in the Emergency Room, the team of physicians informed us
that our newborn would have to undergo surgery to repair a
tightening in his stomach, known as Pyloric Stenosis, which
occurs most commonly in first-born males in the first few
weeks of life. Peter spent the next week in the hospital,
recovering from the surgery.
Thinking we were "out of the woods," we returned home to
try to restore a sense of normalcy to our new lives as
parents. After a visit with a cardiologist the following
week, we were informed that our son had a congenital heart
defect – known as tetralogy of Fallot – a condition that
occurs in 8 out of every 1,000 babies. Peter would have to
undergo heart surgery to repair the life-threatening
defects. Further research revealed that if our child had
not been treated for his condition, his likelihood of
survival would have decreased significantly.
As the French saying goes, "We never know the worth of
water till the well is dry." I believe that Peter’s heart
and stomach conditions helped us to appreciate in a way
that we never would have been able to otherwise, the value
of life, and helped us to enjoy every moment with our new
child. It helped us to appreciate every new day that we had
with our boy as a real gift.
While we could not control the outcome, we knew the one
thing we could control was our attitude. We decided to view
our situation as a chance to deepen our faith in a positive
outcome, to become more knowledgeable about heart disease,
and to learn how to support each other during that ordeal.
I put to use an acronym for FAITH which I teach in my
seminars: Finding An Iota of Trust and Hope. We clung to
it!
At three months of age, our son underwent open heart
surgery to repair his congenital heart condition. The
procedure lasted five hours – the longest five hours of our
lives. Thanks to the prayers of others and the refined
skill of his surgeon, Peter pulled through the
cardiopulmonary bypass, and started breathing on his own
again. Needless to say, that was the best news we could
have possibly received! Within a week, Peter was home and
we are blessed to say that he has fully recovered!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
So remember to develop an optimistic state of mind – the
kind that will help you to be resilient, resourceful, and
responsive. When challenges come your way, ask yourself:
"How can I use this situation to grow as a person and to
strengthen my faith?"
Napoleon Hill was right. Every adversity DOES carry within
it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. Instead of
dwelling on problems, drawbacks, and obstacles, focus on
solutions, benefits, and possibilities!
See you next month!
Peter
Peter Colwell motivates others to motivate themselves!
Peter is an accomplished speaker and author of Spell
SUCCESS in Your Life, a popular motivational book that has
been published in six languages worldwide. Peter delivers
keynote speeches, seminars, and workshops to corporations,
associations, and nonprofit groups. Peter can be reached at
peter@petercolwell.com or 301-370-2698. For more details
about his book and speeches, visit
http://www.PeterColwell.com.
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